Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Shooting Brake

Test drove the Shooting Brake over the weekend. Steering feels tight. Handling seems sharp and composed. The engine seems to rev quite readily but the power delivery just isn't there. The car struggled to move and pick up speed from a standing start. The gear changes are smooth and transmission seems quite refined. There are a ton of electronics in this car! The gear shifter is one of your steering wheel control stalks. Drive mode is selected on the center dash. The sport mode sets the car to manual mode where you can change gears using the paddle shifters. Nice! In this mode the engine makes a very nice rumbling noises at low speed. It sounds nice too and makes it seem like an AMG when it clearly isn't.

I didn't notice much body roll and the suspension seems to absorb most of the undulations in the road. The suspension feels firm but not harsh. It is certainly comfortable for rear passengers. My wife gave a thumbs up in terms of comfort so that was a good sign.

The interior is very well designed and put together. The only thing that I find having to get used to were the air vents. They look a little retro. I guess they are trying for retro modern kind of look. The details looks a bit too loud for me. The seats are comfortable and the driver seat quite body hugging with the cushioning in the right places. I fit perfectly in it.

Didn't get a chance to try all the settings and knobs. There certainly are quite a few settings I am sure. This car is full of electronics and a lot of non-standard options are fitted as standard for Singapore.

I didn't try the auto parking feature since I don't care much for it. Honestly, I'd rather not have it. It takes away the fun of parking. Other driver aids like reverse camera is OK. I'd much rather have lane warning sensors and proximity warning sensors.